What spur: does

spur: (operating commercially as Mettlesome) is a Brisbane-based research, design, and ideas lab founded in 2017 that functions as a project-based professional services consultancy with non-profit heritage. The firm develops and builds ideas in partnership with socially-focused organizations, specializing in co-design methodology, diagnosing complex social problems, mapping root causes, and creating behaviour-change interventions aimed at better community outcomes.

The company serves four primary customer segments: federal, state, and local government agencies; non-profit and advocacy organizations; corporate social impact teams; and academic and research institutions. Disclosed clients include Google, World Economic Forum, Australian National University, Social Research Centre, Victoria Government, QLD Government, Australian Government, WWF, Q Shelter, Mates in Construction, and LBDO. Revenue derives from negotiated project fees on commissioned engagements; there are no disclosed subscriptions, SaaS products, or public pricing.

The portfolio comprises three signature projects rather than commercial products: 'dala' (an AI-powered companion designed to help users understand life), 'The Parley' (an empathy, debate, and comedy program created for the Museum of Sticks & Stones), and 'Handbook' (an educational resource on online hate). The firm has no proprietary technology platform, no API, and no SDK; offerings are human-delivered consulting deliverables. The team numbers 1-10 employees and operates from Brisbane on the lands of the Jagera and Turrbal people. GTM is relationship-based and sales-led, with marketing primarily executed via a website portfolio showcase and a newsletter subscription.

Name

spur:

Legal name

Mettlesome

Website

https://wearespur.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

spur: (operating as Mettlesome) is a Brisbane-based research, design, and ideas lab with non-profit heritage, providing project-based co-design and consulting services to government agencies, NGOs, and socially-focused organizations across Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Project-based professional services: Mettlesome generates revenue through consulting engagements with organizations on social impact projects. They develop and build ideas in partnership with clients, providing research, strategy, and design services. Revenue appears to be derived from project fees rather than recurring subscriptions or product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Mettlesome is a research, design, and ideas lab that develops and builds ideas to address complex social problems in partnership with government agencies, NGOs, and impact-focused organizations. It specializes in co-design, diagnosing complex problems, mapping root causes, and designing interventions with a focus on behaviour change and community outcomes. Engagements are delivered as project-based professional services rather than as a standardized product.

Product overview

Mettlesome is a research, design, and ideas lab with non-profit heritage that operates as a service-based consultancy rather than a software product company. Their offering consists of project-based engagements focused on socially impactful work, including AI-powered companions (dala), experiential programs (The Parley), and educational resources (Handbook). The portfolio centers on behavior change, understanding human behavior, and building ideas for better community outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• dala An AI-powered companion designed to help users understand life, built using generative AI conversational capabilities. Delivered as a project engagement for social impact purposes.
• The Parley A signature experiential program created for the Museum of Sticks & Stones that blends empathy, debate, and comedy to find common ground among visitors.
• Handbook An educational handbook designed to support understanding of online hate, delivered as a project output for clients and communities.
• Research, Strategy & Co-design Consulting Services Project-based professional services delivering deep co-design, research, strategy, and development work for government agencies, NGOs, corporates, and research institutions tackling complex social problems.

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ThinkPlace: Australia-based social impact design and strategy consultancy with deep co-design and human-centered design capabilities, serving government, NGO, and corporate clients. Directly comparable in offerings, geography, and client base to Mettlesome.
• FSG: Global social impact consulting firm advising foundations, corporations, and governments on strategy, evaluation, and systems change. Comparable to Mettlesome in its mission-driven, research-led approach to social problems.
• Spring Impact: Social impact consultancy helping nonprofits and governments design, launch, and scale solutions to social problems. Comparable to Mettlesome in its project-based, research and design-led delivery model.
• Dalberg: Global social impact consulting firm operating across emerging and developed markets, advising government, foundation, and corporate clients. Comparable to Mettlesome in its research-led approach to complex social problems.
• Forum for the Future: International sustainability and social change consultancy working with business, government, and civil society on systems change. Comparable to Mettlesome in its behavior change and systems-oriented approach to complex social issues.
• Purpose: Social impact agency that designs campaigns, communications, and movements for nonprofits and brands. Comparable to Mettlesome in blending strategy, research, and creative output for social outcomes.

Regional players

• The Difference Inc. Australian boutique consultancy combining research, strategy, and design to address social and environmental issues. Closely comparable to Mettlesome in size, offerings, and Australian geographic focus.
• Tandem Repeat Consultancy: Australian consulting firm specializing in strategy, evaluation, and impact measurement for social purpose organizations. Comparable to Mettlesome in its mission-driven, project-based delivery to nonprofits and government in Australia.

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy with a long-standing social impact practice applying human-centered design to complex social challenges. Overlaps with Mettlesome on co-design methodology and behavior change, but operates at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• The B Team: Not-for-profit collective of business leaders advocating for social and environmental outcomes. Less of a direct consultancy, but adjacent to Mettlesome's mission-aligned positioning and engagement with corporate social impact agendas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wearespur
• Facebookfacebook.com/wearespur
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wearespur

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about spur: